General musings tales from everywhere in Tales of the Jointed Track

These are small vignettes from management and craft

Winslow, AZ Southwest Power Desk 1998

I had made a Winslow cut wire. There was an ex Santa Fe SD-45-2 to be cut off of a H-BARTUL (Barstow-Tulsa). The remaining power would handle to destination. It was cut off. There was a heavy Barstow bound freight that needed an add on. The trainmaster calls, I said "Give him that 5623, and use BNSF 8745, BN 7124 and ATSF 519 for the Q-WINPHX. That's taken care of.

The WINPHX called and gone, the phone rings. It's Winslow, "Hey that 5623, won't hold air, this train is blocking the yard, I have a BN 6714 here as well"..I said "Add that one, I'll put out another wire and keep you current". I called and left a voice mail for the Winslow roundhouse, they go off duty at 500 pm. I tell them the 5623, won't hold air or reset. Look it over and let me know". I go on days off, and come back on the day rotation 3 days later.

I call Winslow roundhouse, that morning. I line up a few concerns with Junior, getting the Seligman local rebuilt, a cut and add, plus fuel for the Joesph City coal set, and fuel and service for the "Flag" switcher (Flagstaff, AZ). I ask "What was wrong with that 5623 a few days ago". "Nothing...we fired it up, and heard air blowing out the Main reservoir line, actuation line, application and release line and the train line was open. We checked around closed them. It pumped up and ready to go". "Thanks, you'd think "they", the crew would know". "Nah these younger guys don't give a shit". Yeah true, and no one questions stuff like that any more, and they could have heard it, or chose not too.

Denver Round house the inbound Helper set and the Directors Special 1984

The Santa Fe was doing track work, so they had two other helper sets, tied up at the house track at Palmer Lake on the northbound side. We had shoved at coal train up the grade and were told to pick these up. We did, six total locomotives, hooked up, air tested and brought into town. It was uneventful, coming back down into Denver. We called Rennicks Yardmaster, and were given instructions to go mainline to the Depot at Walnut St. Going through the Depot the 31st St Yardmaster was contacted for permission on the Buck Main. The day shift roundhouse foreman was contacted as well. Roger Bell was there and said come into the runaround track and spot by the crossing. The hostlers would fuel them after getting the power on the fuel tracks finished. Ray Young the Conductor lines the Buck Main switch for the house and the one directly ahead of that. I told Ray, stay back here, were lined most of the way, and I can get any other switches. I ease into the house, and stop for a switch, get off and line it. I look back, Ray needs one and a half units to clear and reline the Buck Main, I pull up and stop. I get a highball, he's lined it back and on.

I turn back and Rodger Bell is lining a the power and cars for the Director's Special into RIP 7. The old rip tracks used to be here, but they have moved into a new facility to repair freight cars. They use them now to hold over power, and wreck repairs waiting to be shopped. The track is clear ahead, I put the bell on and ease into the runaround track. I'm also watching this 8 car Directors train come into the rips. I look up again, and there is a derail, a flop over, set up for derailing position. I wipe 'em, and at 6 mph, were gonna go over it. I feel it lift and damn it were on the ground. This will be a piss test for sure. I get off and look and the damage. The engineers side of the trucks are still on the rail. I walk to the other side, they are still on the rail. Okay I am lucky there, the rear truck, is good. The operating assembly handle and the derail are under the lead units fuel tank. The derail is between the tracks in non derailing position. How that occurred I don't know. Also the Special is empty, the big wigs got off at 31st ST, to get taken to their hotels.

Rodger isn't happy. Goddamn you're the only one I trust, and you run over the derail". I said "I did, but you won't believe it, we're still on the rail". "Okay, we are lucky there, where the rest of this power come from?" "Two sets of helpers left at Palmer Lake". "Okay, pull up and I'll see if this lines back". I pull up, grab my grip and walk back, and meet Rodger. "Did it line back?" "Yeah, its a lil stiff and needs adjusting, I"ll have the section drop by and fix it". He also related that the lock down on the handle wasn't pushed down, so when the plow and wheel set clipped it, it popped into the non derailing position. He says "Take off and tie up, you caused enough trouble for today". I did and lucky for me, that's all that happened